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The Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has a threefold mission:
- To carry out the Corporal Work of Mercy of burying the dead and to care for their resting places
- To preserve, promote and protect the Church’s teachings on death and resurrections
- To console the bereaved, a Spiritual Work of Mercy
“The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2447)
Since the earliest days of the Church, the community of believers has carried out the sacred mission of the burial of the deceased and has given honor and respect to their resting places. Catholic cemeteries give public witness to the most fundamental and profound truths of our faith: “We believe in the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” (The Apostles’ Creed)
These sacred burial grounds are places where the remains of “those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith” (Eucharistic Prayer No. 1) rest in the sure and certain hope of the return of Christ in glory. Even in death, the faithful departed bear witness to their faith. Likewise, by bringing the bodies of their deceased loved ones for burial, “the community of faith proclaims that the grave or tomb, once a sign of futility and despair, has been transformed by means of Christ’s own death and resurrection into a sign of hope and promise.” (Order of Christian Funerals, 109)
Catholic cemeteries are places of prayerful remembrance and profound expectation of future glory. They are an important part of our Catholic funeral rites and traditions. It is imperative that we preserve those traditions for future generations. The Catholic Cemeteries Association is committed to this cause. Through catechesis, at-need and pre-need counseling, media advertisements, ongoing development of cemetery properties and all other means at its disposal, The Catholic Cemeteries Association labors to preserve and protect our sacred burial traditions.
The consolation of the bereaved is an important element of our mission. We dedicate our efforts and resources to this spiritual work of mercy by co-sponsoring the diocesan bereavement program under the auspices of Catholic Charities; organizing a monthly prayer services in our cemeteries throughout the year; sponsoring a special prayer service to commemorate All Souls Day each November; ministering with compassion to families who come to make burial arrangements; preserving the sacred environment of our cemeteries, where the bereaved are consoled by outward signs of our faith in the risen Christ; and in countless other ways each and every day.
The Catholic Cemeteries Association is privileged to carry out this mission on behalf of the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
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